Shloka 586

Śālva’s Elephant Assault and the Counterstroke (शाल्वस्य नागारूढाभ्यवहारः)

Devanagari script

यत्र यातान्न वा हन्यु: पाण्डवा: कि सृतेन व: । “अरे! इस तरह भागनेसे क्या लाभ है? मैं पृथ्वीमें या पर्वतोंपर ऐसा कोई स्थान नहीं देखता, जहाँ जानेपर तुम्हें पाण्डव मार न सकें

Transliteration

yatra yātān na vā hanyuḥ pāṇḍavāḥ kiṃ sṛtena vaḥ |

Translation

“ଆରେ! ଏଭଳି ପଳାଇଲେ କ’ଣ ଲାଭ? ତୁମେ କେଉଁଠି ଯିବ ଯେ ପାଣ୍ଡବମାନେ ତୁମକୁ ହତ୍ୟା କରିପାରିବେ ନାହିଁ? ପୃଥିବୀରେ କିମ୍ବା ପର୍ବତମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ମୁଁ ଏମିତି କୌଣସି ସ୍ଥାନ ଦେଖୁନି, ଯେଉଁଠି ଯାଇ ତୁମେ ପାଣ୍ଡବମାନଙ୍କ ହାତରୁ ରକ୍ଷା ପାଇବ।”

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र
• Form: Adverb (relative); locative sense 'where'

• यातान्: gone / having gone
• यातान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: या (धातु) → यात (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, accusative, plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न
• Form: Negation particle

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा
• Form: Disjunctive particle

• हन्युः: might kill / would kill
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), parasmaipada, 3rd person, plural

• पाण्डवाः: the Pandavas
• पाण्डवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, nominative, plural

• किम्: what? / why?
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, nominative/accusative, singular (used adverbially)

• सृतेन: by fleeing / by escape
• सृतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृ (धातु) → सृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Neuter, instrumental, singular

• वः: of you / for you
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive (enclitic), plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍavas
• earth (pṛthivī)
• mountains (parvata)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the futility of cowardly escape in the face of inevitable consequences: when danger is inescapable, one should abandon panic and meet one’s duty with steadiness rather than seek illusory refuge.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a moment of crisis on the battlefield: someone is attempting to flee, and the speaker rebukes that impulse, asserting that nowhere—on earth or in the mountains—offers safety from the Pāṇḍavas’ pursuit and power.